Rich Harden has been on the disabled list so often -- six times in the last four years -- I wondered if he was the Cubs' response to Milwaukee's acquisition of CC Sabathia or if he was filling the void left by Mark Prior.
 
 Cubs GM Jim Hendry insisted he was working on getting Harden from Oakland for weeks. Still, one must be impressed with the timing of the deal, which was announced less than two hours before Sabathia delivered his first pitch Tuesday night for the Brewers.
 
 The trade's terms also were impressive. For Harden, a 26-year-old right-hander with considerable talent in his fragile arm, the Cubs didn't have to part with any top prospects. Hmmm, does A's GM Billy Beane know something Hendry doesn't -- such as Harden being only about 17 pitches away from another trip to the DL?
 
 As for being impressed with Harden, we'll see. He arrives in Chicago with a lot of ability but also a lot "ifs."
 
 If he stays healthy ... if he can take the heat of a pennant race, when mistakes will draw boos of 40,000 home fans ... if he stays healthy ... if he's not so skinny that he'll get knocked off the mound every time a stiff wind whips through Wrigley Field ... and if he stays healthy.
 
 All ifs aside, this was a low-risk, high-reward trade for the Cubs -- at as far as this season is concerned. And it's all about 2008 for a team that, sources say, hasn't won the World Series recently.
 
 Let's get one thing clear, though: James Richard Harden is no Carsten Charles Sabathia.
 
 Indeed, one could argue quite convincingly that JR is the un-CC.
 
 Harden is Canadian; Sabathia is Californian. Harden is white; Sabathia is black. The unassuming Harden stands 6-foot-1; the intimidating Sabathia is 6-7. Harden weighs 180 pounds; Sabathia's right leg weighs 180.
 
 Much more importantly: Since the start of the 2006 season, Harden has made 26 starts; Sabathia had seven seasons of at least 28 starts for Cleveland. Only once has Harden pitched more than 128 innings in a year; after working six innings Tuesday in his 7-3 victory over Colorado, Sabathia already has eclipsed that total this season.
 
 "He's a big strong guy," Brewers manager Ned Yost said. "He doesn't wear down."
 
 Sabathia is a proven stud. Pay no attention to his 7-8 record. The left-hander was the AL Cy Young winner last year and, after a slow start to 2008, he's been fantastic the last two months.
 
 Harden mostly represents hope, which makes him the perfect addition to Cubbieland.
 
 Hendry never would claim he'd rather have Harden than Sabathia because he'd know we'd know he was lying.
 
 Big CC was the only big catch of the pre-trading-deadline period. Harden was a nice Plan B, even if Cubs manager Lou Piniella had pined for another lefty.
 
 "They make a move, we make a move. This is fun for everybody," Yost said. "It's gonna make the summer really, really interesting."
 
 While Sabathia shares top billing with longtime Brewers ace Ben Sheets, Harden ranks behind All-Stars Carlos Zambrano and Ryan Dempster on the Cubs' staff. If Piniella breaks up his rotation with lefty Ted Lilly, Harden will be the No. 4 starter. That's pretty sweet if -- all together, people -- Harden stays healthy.
 
 The Cubs were more balanced offensively, superior defensively and better in the bullpen before Milwaukee got Sabathia. They still have those advantages today. Harden adds to that edge. If every player performs as expected, the Cubs will win the NL Central and the Brewers will take the wild-card spot.
 
 In a postseason series, however, would you rather face the Cubs or the team headed by Sabathia and Sheets? It's an interesting question to ponder.
  
 I didn't know the Cubs trade was coming down when I decided to attend Sabathia's Milwaukee debut. Once there, I was treated to a unique experience: the first time I've covered a game at a sold-out Miller Park when there weren't 20,000 Cubbie fans in the crowd.
 
 There was a palpable buzz, and chants of "Let's go, CC!" began even before the new hero threw a pitch. Suddenly, the Brewers matter.
 
 Yes, Sabathia is a rent-a-pitcher. The Brewers will let him (and probably Sheets) seek nine-figure riches elsewhere after the season. Harden is Cubs property through 2009. Again, this isn't about next year.
 
 "We're looking at winning this year," said Yost, whose franchise, at 0-for-forever, has an even worse championship history than the Cubs. "That's why we did it."
 
 Back in Chicago, Piniella told reporters the Harden deal proves the Cubs have similar motivation.
 
 "This gives us another weapon," he said. "Let’s keep him healthy ... and go from there."
 
 See? It's not just me. Even Lou can't mention Harden without fixating on the pitcher's health.
 
 Mike Nadel (mikenadel@sbcglobal.net) is the Chicago sports columnist for GateHouse News Service. Read his blog, The Baldest Truth, at www.thebaldesttruth.com <http://www.thebaldesttruth.com> .